


By the way, have I said I love you?

by justpressX



Category: Among Us (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Among Us (Video Game) Setting, Author has failed at tension and pacing, But I can't write blood so dw, Character Death, I changed the imposter and crewmate mechanics a little, I would tag Brooke but she's kinda.. dead., Literally an excuse to write 5undy, M/M, Mild Blood, POV Multiple, Polus (Among Us), That's the second time I used that tag lmao, also there isn't a kill cooldown, by a little I mean A LOT
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:27:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29241312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justpressX/pseuds/justpressX
Summary: 5up and Fundy, two members on the same mission. MIRA has dispatched them to a remote outpost, caught in eternal winter.The other crews sent there had been all but wiped out, the remaining crewmates having barely escaped with their lives and nothing more.If that isn't a bad omen, 5up doesn't know what is.Hafu has high hopes for the crew. The impostors beg to differ.Somehow, 5up and Fundy manage to ignore them all (even if it's in quiet, snatched moments that barely last a second).That may end soon.But 5up would be damned if he didn't let Fundy go without a fight.--Irregular updates, but at least once every two weeks. (Hopefully)
Relationships: Floris | Fundy/5up
Comments: 43
Kudos: 213





	1. Lights, Camera, Action!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder to look at the tags; either 5up or Fundy will die and that's a promise. 
> 
> (Feel free to theorise on who the impostors are, by the way)

5up hovered by the row of keyholes, pulling out a keychain and picking one at random. It slid in perfectly, clicking into place and turning. Beside him, Hafu fished out a set of keys, a yellow rectangle dangling from her keyring.

The automated message in the dropship droned on, welcoming them to Polus.

Janet had been the first to leave, the dark green key haphazardly inserted into the top keyhole. Steve and Dk were nearby, the latter charting the ship's course as he argued with the former. Once he was done, the two of them exited the dropship towards the left blocks, still arguing.

Seeing as the others were already leaving, 5up headed out of the dropship, leaving Hafu alone. The jingling of keys accompanied him as he left, checking a small list as he walked. 

He passed Wolfabelle, the white-clad crewmate already hard at work, struggling with a can of fuel as she trudged through the thick snow. She smiled and declined when 5up offered to help her, disappearing back into the storage room. She emerged with Brooke by her side a second later, the latter helping to carry the fuel.

5up continued on, stopping at the entrance of the laboratory to fix the node planted there. Crouching down, he repaired it swiftly, making a mental note to switch it back on later.

The lights from the laboratories flickered out. Already? 5up turned to head to Electrical, but the lights blinked back on a second later. With a shrug, he walked into Labs, expecting to be alone. 

The rumble of the drill – someone had started it up – proved otherwise, fading as he entered the second room down the hallway.

With some surprise, he realised that Fundy – probably responsible for the drill – was the one already in Labs, taking a moment to flick on the correct node before reaching for the light blue panel on the wall. 

The thermometer next to it wasn't working, and the screen read 5°C. A quick look at his watch told him that it was actually -13°C. 5up tried to ignore the red countdown on its screen, already at 2 as he tried to re-enter the temperature correctly. Two more seconds of invincibility; that was all MIRA could offer its crewmates.

The doors down the hallway closed with a hiss. 5up jumped, nearly dropping the panel.

A few taps later, the panel was reset, and the thermometer was hopefully working. He replaced it on the wall, about to leave with he heard a noise. 5up turned around at the sound of the decontamination chamber, slipping into the main Lab and waving at Fundy. 

Fundy was still hunched over the telescope, now muttering what sounded like curses under his breath as he moved the telescope this way and that. 5up heard the hissing from the chamber stop and, a moment later, the doors opening. He turned to it, wondering who it was.

"Oh, hey guys!" Janet emerged from the bathroom, presumably the one in the chamber. The bathroom was broken, one of the few rooms not rebuilt after a tragic earthquake destroyed almost all of the buildings on the outpost.

Fundy spared her a glance and a wave, then returned to glaring at the telescope as Janet brushed past the two of them. 

"I went to Comms. Who's that guy?" She whispered, giving him a cheerful wave and leaving before 5up had a chance to answer.

Heading to a panel in the wall, 5up set up five identical vials. He let the machine add in the reagent and left it alone. A timer on the side started, giving the vials a minute to react. 

Somehow, Fundy was still stuck on the telescope, making a strange garbled scream that 5up didn't know whether to be terrified of or not. 

Nevertheless, he didn't want to leave him alone just like that. He hung around for a bit, fixing up the wires in the bathroom – Janet mustn't have joined them up properly – and the ones both inside and next to the decontamination chamber. 

He caught a glimpse of brown inside the specimen room, as they dubbed it, before he re-entered Labs. Peter must have been one cycle behind Janet, then; he'd just missed Janet by a few seconds.

Fundy groaned and slumped onto the floor. He flopped down on the ground, his hat falling off his head and flipping over. 

"Fucking Pluto, 'Oh I'm so cool and talented and wow, you can't find me!'" He grumbled resentfully. A pencil sketched drawing of Pluto was crumpled in his hand. "Hafu better have a good reason for making me do this."

5up laughed, walked over, and held out his hand, helping Fundy up and taking a look at the paper. "Maybe it's so I could be your knight in shining armour."

"Yeah, definitely; save me from that terrifyingly stupid telescope, my saviour," Fundy retorted, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"Very funny. Let me see…" 5up shifted the telescope around a little, peering through the lenses. The machine in his right beeped, having completed the experiment. 5up dutifully ignored it. 

Ah, there it was. The telescope buzzed in recognition, fixing its lenses on it. The image sharpened, focusing on the planet – or dwarf planet, whatever, 5up didn't really care. 

Looking up, he saw that Fundy was standing by his side with a shocked expression on his face. 5up bit back a laugh, pulling him over by the sleeve. 

"Look, it's over here, in the corner," he pointed at the eyepiece, moving away slightly to let Fundy have a look. 

"O–oh, I see." Fundy stuttered, awe shining in his eyes as he looked at 5up. "How– how did you find it so fast?"

"Practice, I guess," 5up shrugged, pressing the second button on the machine without so much as a glance. It dinged in response, retracting the vials. 

A stream of text – probably a report – scrolled across the screen, already sent to Comms. 5up would have headed there to confirm that, but he didn't really feel inclined to. 

A stray piece of paper caught his eye. 

Tugging it from the machine, 5up was greeted with what seemed like a list. Or, more accurately, a part of a list; the jagged edges of the paper seemed to indicate that it had been torn. Maybe it had gotten caught in the machine. 

5up hummed contemplatively, turning to Fundy. The other plucked the paper from his hands, flipping it and reading it. 

"It's a list of tasks, but…" Fundy looked confused. He showed it to 5up, finger hovering over the third one. "This one – align the telescope – is mine, and you just did the vials one."

"Interesting." 5up pocketed the list, deciding to show it to Hafu when he had the chance. She would probably know what to do. 

"Let's ask the others later," Fundy suggested from the end of the room. He stepped onto the scanner, prompting 5up to stand back and watch. Though he couldn't scan, 5up decided that Fundy was definitely a crewmate – the telescope was proof enough, even if he couldn't verify the scan.

When the scan was complete, 5up helped him down swiftly, leading him to the decontamination doors. "My thoughts exactly, dear. Any tasks in Specimen?"

Fundy faltered at the name, halting. "Oh– yeah, I've got reactors and the manifolds." He quickly recovered. 

5up just smiled and pulled him into the chamber.


	2. Communications Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hafu knew what the vitals said. And, despite wishing it were otherwise, it didn't lie. 
> 
> She had to find Brooke.
> 
> The others have plenty to say during the meeting

Where could Brooke be? Hafu hurried out of Office, stopping just next to Weapons. She tucked her card back into her wallet, her focus completely on finding Brooke. It was snowing, and her vision suffered as a result. 

A piercing shriek came from within Comms. Sprinting in, she found Wolf crouching over a body, right next to the table. 

"Brooke!" Wolf screamed, fumbling to feel for a pulse. Blood stained her white gloves, her tablet abandoned on the floor. Hafu hurried over, pulling her watch out and calling – no, _demanding_ – a meeting. 

Immediately, the alarms positioned all over the area blared, flashing red and alerting everyone. Wolf cradled Brooke in her arms, tears in her eyes. "Wake up, please!" She begged, shaking her shoulders.

"Wolfabelle, she's dead. I'm so sorry." Hafu tugged at her sleeve, trying not to cry as well. "I checked vitals earlier. She was already dead."

Wolf gave an anguished cry. "But we were supposed to work together!" 

Hafu patted her shoulder. "I'm sorry. You couldn't have changed anything. She wouldn't have blamed you,"

The alarms kept sounding insistently, calling them to the meeting room. 

With a sigh, Wolf set Brooke gently on the floor, muttering a final apology under her breath. Swiping the tears from her eyes, she got up slowly and picked up her tablet. 

"Let's go, shall we?" Her voice trembled with the effort of not crying. "Can't keep them wondering."

Hafu took her hand and they headed back, breaking into a sprint. 

\---

With nothing else to do, 5up bent to check on the cooler. The artefacts had already been sorted by Peter. Closing the reactor screen, Fundy shifted slightly and tapped at the manifolds, counting under his breath. 

The alarms made them jump, 5up nearly knocking over the cooler. They exchanged looks of fear, sprinting towards the lower decontamination chamber. 

The decontamination couldn't have taken any longer than usual, but it felt like an eternity, the alarms with them the whole way. At last, the doors slid open, and they hurried out.

5up and Fundy dashed through Office, the latter stumbling as they rounded a corner and into the meeting room.

A glance around the table showed that three other people were missing. The two of them took their seats quickly, just as Hafu and Wolf entered, out of breath. 

Wolf collapsed into a chair, blood covering her outfit. "Brooke– Brooke is dead."

The room broke out in whispers. Shushing them frantically, Hafu explained the situation. 

"Her body was in Comms. This was a fairly old kill; I checked vitals about… two minutes before this? And she was dead."

Panic laced her words, their leader shaken by the brazen murder. "Where was everyone?"

"I went to Electrical and fixed those wires, and then O2, did the canisters, tree, and ended up at waterwheels," Steve offered. 

"Yeah, I fixed the lights with him and went to o2 from outside," Dk confirmed, nodding. "I did the node above Comms, then went in from below."

"Oh, and, I saw Wolf and Brooke doing storage," he added, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Wolf, anything to say about that?" 

"No no no, the body was in Communications, Dk. Wolf and I found it together." Hafu was quick to jump to her defence. 

"Oh, and your route?" Dk shot back. 

"Hmm? Oh, I did my keys, went down between Comms and Office, did the node under Office, swiped my card, did the download in Office, then checked vitals and admin. I headed to Comms to look for Brooke, and Wolfabelle was with me there." Hafu recited calmly, counting on her fingers. 

"I did storage with Brooke, like Dk said," Wolf spoke up. "After that, we split; I went to Office and I think she went to Weapons. I swiped my card and did the lava temperature, and I saw Hafu on the download. Then I went to look for her because I wanted to go Speci, and she was– she–" 

"This may be a good time to add that Fundy and I have been together since almost the start." 5up cut in, giving Wolf a sympathetic look. Wolf trailed off, holding back tears.

"Oh? Where were you two?" Hafu asked, taking the attention off Wolf.

"Labs, then Specimen." Fundy helpfully supplied. 

"And I may have messed up the telescope really badly," He confessed sheepishly, getting a few laughs.

"I think Peter was in Speci near the start? Probably couldn't be him, then." 5up pointed out. Peter nodded in confirmation, relieved that he wasn't being suspected. 

"Well, Talia and Janet?"

They exchanged looks, and Janet went first. 

"I swiped my card, then went straight to Speci, did the download, and went to Labs, where I scanned. Then, I was under Lab, fixing that node."

"Yep, I saw her in Labs," Fundy said, earning a grateful smile from Janet. Peter looked like he wanted to say something, then shrugged.

"And I went straight to Weapons, through Death Valley – fixed that node – and was heading to Labs." Talia looked nervous, and for good reason; her route was suspiciously close to Comms, and was around the assumed timing of the kill. "I saw Brooke go into Weapons when I left."

Dk noticed that, pointing at Talia. "Weapons is right next to Comms," he said accusingly.

"And why the hell would I place myself there for?" Talia retorted swiftly. "I was there only at the start, and I told you, she went in when I left!"

"Hmm." Dk simply replied, unconvinced.

"Ten more seconds," Hafu reminded them, tapping on her watch to vote. There was a flurry of movement as the members pulled out their tablets or watches to vote. 

5up skipped, assuming that the others would do the same.

With everyone's votes, the results were revealed. Most voted to skip, but, surprisingly, Peter voted Janet – she narrowed her eyes at him – and, predictably, Dk voted Talia on impulse. 

Hafu waved them out of the room, taking Wolf's hand and sitting by her side. Their hushed whispers followed 5up and Fundy out.


	3. Oh, to be with you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As promised, the cutesy chapter in exchange for inevitable death >:D
> 
> Oh, and the next chapter's gonna be an exposition-ish and also quite short (~600 words) one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title is a pun, by the way (oh, to = o2). Sorry, couldn't help myself!
> 
> I updated the title of the 1st chapter (we all knew 'Fuck Pluto' was always a temporary title) because I have made it my personal goal to have at least semi-punnish chapter titles in accordance to the contents.
> 
> One last thing! If all goes to plan, this story is going to have 7 chapters, and maybe an epilogue, but I haven't got that planned. (Edit: Nope, it's gonna be 9, see the notes on Chapter 5. Epilogue is still undecided.)
> 
> Enjoy!

The crew filed into the room next to them, swiping their cards one by one. Janet doubled back, heading for the left exits. Wolf and Hafu emerged from the meeting room; 5up could just barely see them enter the library section of the office. The decontamination chamber doors slid open with a hiss. 

Taking his card from his wallet, 5up ran a thumb across the too-smooth surface. Most cards had a serrated edge, but, be it from too many trips or a mistake in manufacturing, the edge of his card was smooth to the touch. 

Steve and Dk were still squabbling when they left towards the lava pit, and Fundy stepped up to swipe his card. Although it took a few tries, the card was accepted and it was 5up's turn. 

He turned over the card, slotting it in and dragging it across. The machine beeped angrily, forcing him to try again. And again. And again… 5up wondered if his card had a problem. (It had to be a problem. There was no way he couldn't swipe a simple card.)

Suddenly, hands were on his, and Fundy offered, "Hey, let me try."

5up stepped backwards, surrendering his card to him. A blush crept up his face as Fundy gave him a nervous smile, taking the – his, it was _5up's_ – card with gentle fingers. 

The machine rejected it once more, making Fundy curse under his breath and flip the inanimate object off. 5up giggled at the sight, shoving his hands into his pockets. The tips of his fingers brushed against a piece of paper. Oh, right; the strange list they'd found. 

Fundy slid the card back and forth, whispering threats – "You better accept this card, or I'll unplug your fucking ass, I swear to god," – to the card reader. 

To both of their surprise, the card finally registered. 5up cheered, taking Fundy's hand with one hand. With his other hand, he took his card back, pulling Fundy with him out of Office. 

Fundy grinned, flushed with glee. "I did it!" He cheered, and how could 5up not smile at that? 

They were just passing Labs when 5up realised, belatedly, that he was still holding Fundy's hand. And the cameras were on, judging by the blinking red light above the door (not that it mattered much, but it was good to know).

Fundy gasped suddenly, dropping 5up's hand and dropping to the floor. 5up was about to panic when, holding a handful of snow, Fundy gave him the sweetest smile he'd ever seen and declared, "We need to build a snowman!" 

5up was glad to assist him, gathering armfuls of snow and helping him shape the pile into a humanoid figure. Yet, halfway through the process, a thought struck him.

Fundy, oblivious as ever, looked over his handiwork with pride. Then a snowball, whizzing past his head at great speed, collided straight with the head of the snowman and took what seemed like the entire top half off. 

5up, snow dusting his face, grinned innocently. His gloves were covered with snow, remnants from the snowball being made. Fundy gave a screech of indignance and threw himself at 5up, tackling him to the ground. 

Laughing, 5up scrambled away as Fundy scooped up a handful of snow and tossed it at him. The hastily made snowball hit his hands as he brought them up to defend himself, bursting into a shower of powdery snow. 

"Wait– please– Fundy!" 5up said, even as he pitched another snowball at the other. The remains of the snowman smacked him, having been haphazardly shoved towards him by Fundy.

Fundy gasped with laughter, yelling back, "Never! I shall never yield–" A snowball hit him face-on, cutting his sentence short. 

"Okay, okay, but seriously, I need to go to o2." 5up had to stop him eventually, brushing snow off Fundy's shoulder as he helped him up. 

"Come on, let's go," Taking a moment to kick what was left of the snowman one last time, 5up took his hand again and the two of them ran off, bickering about the snowman the whole time. 

Steve was the one on the cameras, as they discovered when a casual, "Hi 5up, hi Fundy," came from the room when they entered. 

"Nice snowman." The smirk was evident, even if 5up couldn't see him.

"Hi, Steve." 5up waved at the wall, ignoring the blush creeping up his face, and continued walking down the hallway. Fundy followed after him, the snowflakes dusted across him like glitter beginning to melt. 

The o2 section was empty, occupied only by the silent, stoic tree, and them. The rushing water, thanks to Steve opening the waterways previously, filled the area.

Fundy and 5up fell silent, hesitant to speak up. 5up started talking first. 

"So, I need to download the data from the tree room," He said, unsure why he was whispering, but continuing because it felt right, somehow. "You want to come with me?"

Fundy nodded with a look on his face that said, 'why do you need to ask?', already starting to walk in that direction. With way too much joy to be normal, 5up took off after him, a grin on his face. 

The data, recorded by Steve previously, was stored on the panel next to the tree. Typing in a few things, he quickly downloaded the data as Fundy sat below the tree. 

The light, fluttering through the leaves, struck the snowflakes perched on his hair. Fundy stuck his hands in his pockets, leaning back and looking up at 5up. 

"Sit with me," He asked, and 5up couldn't say no, could he?

As he played with Fundy's hair, damp with snow and incredibly soft, he unconsciously curled up next to him. He relaxed, leaning into Fundy's side. The room was quiet, a pleasant hush falling over them.

"Wait, are you purring?" Indeed he was, a quiet, low sound. Fundy stopped immediately, sitting up.

"No, I'm not!" Fundy glared at 5up when he started to laugh, flushing a delicate pink that 5up immediately decided was very cute. 

5up patted one of his ears, smiling. "Sure, whatever you say. It's cute, though,"

Fundy huffed and didn't reply, sinking into his touch anyway. Soon, he started purring again, filling the silent room.

"I should get up," 5up said, but made no move to do so. Fundy shook his head, tugging on his sleeve. Hey, Fundy was more important than a stupid water jug, anyway.

He could stay there forever, with Fundy. Screw the mission.

"Wolf– nevermind," Hafu burst into the room, then stopped, turning and heading for the hallway to Electrical. Fundy and 5up leapt to their feet, the latter stuttering madly. She barely blinked at the two of them, though the small smirk peeking through her expression told 5up that he was in for it later. 

"On second thoughts, have you seen Wolf?" She poked her head back in, and oh, she was _definitely_ going to tease 5up so badly.

Fundy toed the artificial grass on the floor nervously. "No, we haven't, uh, Hafu–?"

Hafu nodded and left without another word. The second she was gone, Fundy and 5up looked at each other and began to laugh.


	4. Vital Information

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HA SIKE GOTCHA I'M POSTING IT NOW!
> 
> As the title suggests, exposition chapter time!
> 
> Hafu receives some unwelcome news from the organisation back at MIRA
> 
> (References to the fic [How Ranboo (Po)LOST everything, except his life](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29062848) by yours truly *cough cough self-promo*)

They were back in the meeting room again. 5up watched the seats around the table fill up, each member entering with fearful looks, as if they would be told someone was dead at any second. 

Hafu was quick to reassure them, telling each member that she'd checked vitals and everyone was doing fine. She had an anxious stance, however; she fidgeted with her ring and tapped her foot unconsciously.

Once everyone – excluding Brooke, 5up tried not to look at her empty seat – had filed in, Hafu began. "I just heard from MIRA." 

Everyone sighed. No one liked MIRA very much, which made sense given their apathetic lack of concern for their crewmates' safety. And their death count; almost all crews lost at least one member each mission, and the only two crews on Polus had both very nearly been wiped out. 

The crew waited for Hafu to continue, already expecting the worst.

"There are two impostors among us." She told them. Steve frowned, picking at the tablecloth. 

"So they were the ones behind Brooke's death?" He asked bluntly. Next to Hafu, Wolf flinched. "Sorry, I shouldn't have…"

Peter shushed him, unusually concerned. 

"I'll do my best to find them," Hafu promised them, clearly blaming herself. "I swear I will; we have to avenge Brooke, or…"

"We will survive this together," 5up felt a pang of guilt at Hafu's expression, laying a hand on hers. 

"You won't do it alone." Dk reminded her. 

"Yeah, we'll do this together!" Talia added. 

The others chorused their agreement, making their leader smile slightly. 

"Come on, let's not talk so much about this!" Janet laughed, breaking the sombre atmosphere. "How are all of you?"

"Not too bad; I'm on track to finishing my tasks, probably by… next round?" Talia seized the subject change with a relieved smile. 

Wolf echoed her words, a small smile on her face. 

Just then, 5up remembered the list of tasks he and Fundy had found. Passing it to Hafu, he asked, "What's this?"

Hafu took the paper, reading it carefully. She inhaled quietly, surprised. "What the–"

"We found it in Labs! But it doesn't match with anyone's; it repeats some of mine and 5up's," Fundy piped up. "We thought you might know what to do,"

With a tilt of her head, Hafu flipped the paper over to check the other side. 

"Vel– Velvet?" She muttered under her breath, confused. 

Talia's face lit up as she recognised the name. "Velvet! He's from Dream's crew!"

"Dream's crew? Oh– TS Dream Team?" The name seemed familiar to Hafu. Had 5up had heard of it before? He couldn't quite recall when. "I think they were the previous– _oh."_

Without her continuing, 5up suddenly realised why it sounded familiar. "The previous crew here?"

"Yeah, I think so. This must have been one of their members' task lists," Hafu agreed.

Confused, Dk asked, "How did they, y'know, die? They were an amazing crew."

"Reactors," 5up explained grimly. "The impostors sabotaged the stabilisers, and– well, you know Polus."

A collective shudder went through the group. The tremors – sometimes earthquakes – on the planet were notoriously dangerous and forceful. Even with the stabilisers, the occasional tremor still shook the buildings. 

Without them, and with the almost-constant snowstorms… 5up could guess what had happened. It was easy to sneak up on people in such conditions. 

Talia seemed concerned, half-raising her hand with a question. "But, what if it happens to us too?" She wanted to know. 

"Then we will fix it, and quickly." Hafu told them, looking each of them in the eye. "The procedure is simple; hold your tablet – or phone, or watch, whatever – to the panel there. Type in the code and it should be fine."

The crew nodded, listening intently. 

Hafu sighed, confident tone dropping as she checked her watch. "I forgot about the timing, so you guys can just go now."

5up hung back, hesitant. Seeing that, Fundy, halfway out the door, stopped as well. Hafu looked up with a slight laugh. 

"What are you waiting for? Go!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this, and hopefully you have some suspicions on who it is. I'd love to hear your thoughts on who the impostors are!
> 
> (Psst I also have a Twitter account: @pXwastooshort_)


	5. Delayed Reactions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It begins to snow. 5up and Fundy return to o2, then back to Office, and back again. 
> 
> Reactors go off, startling them. Hopefully, the others have it under control, but they run there to help anyway. Can't take chances when they're facing what almost wiped out the previous crew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, so, uh, I reviewed my planning and decided that it would flow better (and give yall more normal updates) if I increased the chapter count to 9, so.
> 
> It's 9 chapters now. Hopefully it reads okay and the pacing doesn't seem off because it definitely was before. 
> 
> (Also. Just realised that now I have to come up with two more chapter titles. FUCK.)

The doors to o2 creaked open as Fundy unlocked the switches. The doors had started closing randomly – all over the outpost, according to the others. 5up suspected an impostor was behind the closures. 

(It was definitely one of them; doors didn't just close randomly.)

5up walked into the boiler room – which didn't contain boilers, ironically – and grabbed a water jug. Filling it up, he took it and headed out. Fundy took a step towards him, reaching out in a silent offer of assistance. 5up shook his head, and Fundy obediently fell into step next to him.

The walk back was peaceful, silent as the snow swirled around them. A snowstorm was coming, by the looks of it. 5up shivered slightly. The cold was always something he couldn't really handle.

The doors back into Office were closed again. With a roll of his eyes, 5up struggled to free a hand, unable to flick open the switches. 

A gold cuff pushed his hand away gently. Gesturing for 5up to let him do it, Fundy fumbled for a moment, then the door swung open. 5up gave him a grateful smile and headed for the meeting room. Fundy followed his steps, beginning to hum quietly.

It was empty, everyone else having left for various locations. Fundy took a seat as 5up replaced the water jug in the room, opening and closing the cover of the button on the meeting room table idly. 

For those who were unable to request a meeting from their devices – be it from having called one already or because they had lost it – they could call a meeting using the button in the room. Of course, one small problem is that they had to go into the room, which could take a while, depending on where they were on the outpost.

5up picked up the empty water jug and stood up. A peek outside told him that it was snowing heavily by then. Snow was piled around the buildings in small heaps, though the paths remained relatively clear. 

In the distance, Talia ran into Labs, taking shelter from the snowstorm. She stood by the doorway, brushing the snow from her ponytail. 

5up pulled out his usual seat and sat down. "I don't wanna go back right now," He told Fundy, sighing.

Fundy agreed, and after a brief trip to the next room to check on the vitals, they returned to the meeting room. Fundy was still humming, tapping out a rhythm on the tabletop. 5up didn't quite recognise the song, but it wasn't bad, so he kept quiet and listened.

The snow continued falling, blanketing the area near the dropship and nearly burying a weather node. 

Hafu ducked in and blinked slightly upon seeing them. It was her second time walking in on them randomly sitting around, 5up reflected. It had to have surprised her at least a little. 

Sure enough, when she spoke, Hafu sounded baffled. "What are you two doing?" 

5up just shrugged, and Fundy waved rather awkwardly.

Then, her eyes narrowed and she placed her hands on her hips. Having been on the receiving ends of many such expressions, 5up knew that it wasn't serious; her eyes gleamed with amusement below the fake outrage. She looked between the two of them.

"Are you two dating?" Despite the angry-sounding tone, Hafu was clearly trying not to laugh. 5up gave her an innocent smile, then grabbed Fundy's hand, lacing his fingers through his. 

"No, of course not!" He batted his eyelashes at her mockingly. "What made you think so?"

Hafu, to her credit, did not take the bait, only huffing a laugh and leaving. As she left the room, she called over her shoulder, "I mean, you guys are pretty cute,"

Fundy turned a deep red, tripping over his words. He cast a look outside, and, apparently deciding that braving the cold was preferable to sitting inside, got up. 5up stood as well, taking the empty water jug with a questioning look at him. 

"Let's go." Was all Fundy said. Well, 5up didn't need a reason to go with Fundy, he told himself, offering him his hand and heading out. 

The snow was heavier than he'd anticipated, and colder too. Luckily, the paths to each building remained mostly clear, saving them a battle through the blanket of snow. 

Speaking of blankets, 5up would appreciate one right then. It was freezing, and the snow melting in his hair as he placed the water jug back in the boiler room made it even colder. 

He shivered, hugging himself unconsciously. 

Fundy looked up from the trash chute, instantly rushing over with a look of concern. Shrugging off his jacket, he offered it to 5up, who accepted it gratefully. 

Slipping his hands through the jacket sleeves and putting it on, 5up quickly thanked Fundy. He snorted, brushing it off with a fond smile. 

He reached for the wires, wanting to fix them. Before he could, however, the wires began to shift, fixing themselves together with an invisible hand. Brooke?

5up was about to call out, to ask if Brooke was there, when sirens began blaring. 

_The reactors._

Fundy shot him a look, and 5up nodded, bolting for the door and sprinting in the direction of the seismic stabilisers. 

Worry surged through him. How long did they have again? A minute? Two minutes?

The ground shuddered beneath him; the sound of crates tumbling to the ground crashed from the storage room. Not very long, it seemed. 5up sped up, heading for the left side as he scanned the area for the others. Beside him, Fundy kept pace, a nervous, tense look on his face. 

"Dk, where the hell are you going? Fix this one!" A screech came from their right. Skidding to a halt and turning, 5up spotted two people in the distance; one wearing purple and the other, wearing black, yelling at him. He felt a rush of relief; the others had it (mostly) under control on the right. 

"Talia, you do this one, I'm gonna go left side!" Dk shouted back. Talia placed her hands on her hips, huffing angrily. 

"I would love to, but there's a fucking earthquake along with a snowstorm, and my phone's lying somewhere in the fucking snow," Talia pointed at the snow covering the area with an irritated sigh. A green figure walked out of Labs, halting when they saw the two of them. 

Fundy stumbled as the ground shook violently, nearly losing his balance. 5up grabbed him around his shoulders, holding him up. Fundy clutched his arm, whining softly. 

"It's okay," 5up told him. "You're safe." 

_("With me," he wanted to say._

_"I wouldn't let any harm come to you, my love," He didn't dare to voice his thoughts out loud.)_

"Janet! Thank god you're here; fix this one 'cause Talia refuses to!" Dk instructed the other, beginning to run in 5up and Fundy's direction. 

"I can't do it, you idiot!" Talia shouted after him, shaking her head and retreating into Labs. The building trembled as the earth shook, making her stumble but continue on, a hand resting on the wall to hold her up.

5up was focused on their conversation, nearly walking straight into Steve, who was coming down from the left stabiliser. Fundy pulled him away and stopped him from crashing into Steve, eyeing the panel on the reactor in question.

"Yeah, I got this one already; just waiting on them now," Steve assured them, walking back into Electrical with a casual wave. Through the glass window, they saw him jog over to the security cameras. 

The tremors had stopped, though the ground still shook slightly. Fundy relaxed, shoulders slumping as he let go of 5up. In the distance, if 5up squinted, he could make out someone – Janet – walking down from the right reactor. Another person – Peter – joined her at the base, seeming to engage her in conversation.


	6. Mission Sabotaged

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the reactors, 5up and Fundy return to Office. Hafu, Peter, and Steve are there, and Wolf comes and leaves. 
> 
> Then, Talia dies, and Comms get sabotaged. 
> 
> Where is Talia? The admin table is no use to them.

5up entered Office, glancing tentatively around. Wolf, carrying a tray of mugs, inclined her head at him as she brushed past, entering the lower room of Office; the one with the admin table and library. 

Bringing Fundy with him, 5up walked in after Wolf. Peter and Hafu were already inside. The former was sitting on the admin table, swinging his legs. Peter waved at them with a grin, accepting the mug Wolf offered him. 

Hafu had her back facing them, carefully rearranging the books back onto the bookshelves at the end of the room. They had fallen in the earthquake, and were scattered around her. 

Hearing their footsteps, she turned around, breaking into a smile. Hafu took the tray from Wolf's hands, then turned to 5up and Fundy to hand them each a mug. 

"Are the rest okay? Where are they?" She wanted to know. She took a mug for herself, passing Wolf the last mug. 

Wolf frowned, thinking. "Steve's on vitals, I saw him just now. Talia, Dk, and Janet… I'm not sure." 

Sipping from her mug of hot chocolate, Hafu placed the tray absently on the admin table. She responded to Wolf's words with a grateful nod. 

"Janet went into Labs; she's probably still in there," Peter shrugged, sounding uncertain. "Of course, she could've left… I'm pretty sure that all she had to do there is turn on the weather node."

Hafu nodded, pushing the tray to the side to bring up the admin panel. 5up leaned over to glance at the holographic screen as well; six figures in Office – all of them, and Steve, – one figure in Weapons, and another one in Labs. 

Unfortunately, the admin panel couldn't show which figure was who, nor show the different hallways and outside the buildings, but if 5up had to guess, Janet was in Labs, and either Talia or Dk was in Weapons. Probably Dk, actually. 

Hafu seemed to agree, closing the panel and turning to the others. She relayed the information to them, tapping the table as she spoke.

"I'm gonna go– I'll go Labs, and see who's there," Wolf told her, rummaging through her pockets for her task list. Getting a nod from Hafu, she left the room. 5up heard Steve call to her from vitals as she passed him. 

The rest of them remained where they were, chatting idly. 

"Y'know, back on MIRA, Hafu once–" Peter began with a mischievous grin, swinging his legs from atop the admin table. 

"Don't you dare, Peter–" Hafu, who had been flipping through a random book, whipped her head around to glare at him. 

Sitting cross-legged against the decontamination doors, 5up paused for a second, hearing a distant cry. And, wasn't that the faint sound of glass breaking? 

"Fundy, Fundy, don't listen to this man! Slander, I tell you! Slander against your leader!" Hafu continued, seeming to not have noticed anything. Peter snickered, and Fundy seemed to have relaxed, falling into their dynamic easily.

He didn't have to say anything, 5up decided; no one else had reacted, anyway. It could just be his imagination.

Just then, a shout came from Steve. 

"Talia's dead!" He yelled, bursting into the room. Concerned, Peter jumped off the table quickly, letting Hafu bring up the admin panel to take a look. 5up sprang up, peering over her shoulder. 

"Five in Office, still one in Weapons, one in Labs, and one in Speci– wait, no, they just left–" Hafu read out. 5up halted, a little surprised. Then, was that…

"The person in Labs should be Wolf, and–" Peter started. 

There was a loud crackling noise, then the panel flickered out, closing itself. Hafu blinked, shocked, before she sprung into action. 

"Comms sabotage." She told them, turning and sprinting off. The others didn't need her to elaborate; Peter followed her, running out of Office. Exchanging looks, 5up and Fundy left as well, leaving Steve, who stayed behind.

The snow was heavy, clumps of white starting to litter the path and block their way. As Hafu pushed open the doors, running for the monitor mounted outside Comms, Peter seemed to backtrack, before giving them a helpless look and veering off, towards Storage. 

5up rushed to Hafu's side and crouched down, looking at the screen. A scratchy, automated voice was saying something, but he couldn't make out what it was. 

Hafu messed around with the knob; twisting it made the voice clearer, until it didn't. 5up reached out, but stopped himself. Instead, he watched as she carefully adjusted it, pausing every so often to listen closely. 

Fundy hovered over them, looking around nervously and fidgeting. Distantly, 5up could hear someone say something. 

"Oh, hey, Janet!" That was Steve's voice, if 5up was not mistaken. Janet murmured something back, but 5up didn't quite catch it. 

Hafu hummed thoughtfully, still trying to find the correct setting.

\---

Peter stuck his hands in his pockets. Polus was cold, alright; MIRA sure weren't exaggerating when they said the temperature dropped below zero in snowstorms. 

He huffed a breath, watching it turn to mist in the cold with faint amusement. He didn't have much more to do, at least, at the moment he didn't. 

He found himself by the entrance of Storage, watching as the light of the camera, mounted at the entrance of Electrical, blinked red. 

He paced around aimlessly, even venturing up to Dropship. The area was empty, and it occurred to him that he had forgotten his keys. 

Finding his keys somewhere in his pockets, he slotted a key in, just below a purple one. 

Peter headed back down, into the snow. He walked directly towards Comms, intending to check on Hafu and the others. A quick glance at his phone told him that they had not fixed it yet. 

As he passed a weather node, just barely rising above the snow, his foot kicked something that was buried beneath. Peter stumbled, then bent down to retrieve whatever it was. He searched around in the snow, fingers eventually catching on a small, rectangular object.

Fishing it out, he realised what it was.

But whose? Fumbling for the power button, he switched the phone on. 

A mirror selfie, clearly recognisable as one of them. 

Talia. 

Faintly, the sirens began to sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, real quick, the next chapter may take longer (not that I have an actual schedule, but still) because the first bit's the meeting, and I suck at that. Sorry!
> 
> Also, just curious; are you reading on mobile or computer/laptop? I literally cannot read on computer, the words are too l o n g for me


	7. Administrative Matters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An… interesting meeting takes place, leaving 5up unsure of how to continue.
> 
> They go on a task-finishing spree, from Comms to Weapons, and ending in Electrical, where they talk with Dk for a while before he leaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to update, I'm still not really liking the meeting part (especially the accusation. It's weird)
> 
> Anyway, a slight clarification in the end notes about something that happens in this chapter so it makes more sense (aka I didn't know how to make it super clear in the chapter)

Hearing the sirens, 5up got to his feet reluctantly. Hafu hesitated, eyeing the unfixed Comms, but sighed and stood, ushering Fundy and 5up to join the meeting. 

"We found Talia in Specimen," Janet was saying. Next to her, Steve nodded in confirmation. 

Hafu narrowed her eyes, thinking. 

"I didn't see anyone in Speci, though – I checked admin when Talia died on vitals." Janet looked at her, surprised. She opened her mouth to reply, but Peter beat her to it. 

"I think the admin table is based on our phones and stuff, and Talia's phone is just outside Storage." He passed Hafu the phone quickly. She took a short breath, taking it with careful hands. 

"…Yeah, that probably explains it," 5up shrugged. "But, why is her phone–"

"Oh, oh! She was saying that she lost it when we met!" Dk shouted, then, a little sheepishly, "That's during reactor; I didn't believe her, but I guess she was telling the truth,"

Hafu turned the phone over, switching it on. "Yep, that's Talia's alright. So, that means…"

"The killer was the one we saw leave on admin table?" Peter prompted. 

Hafu nodded, turning to Wolf. "They left from the top too; Wolf? Did you see anyone?"

"Wait, what– oh _damnit,_ I must've just missed them!" Wolf realised, cursing. "I was leaving Labs when you two found the body– I nearly caught 'em!"

"They probably vented out, to be honest," 5up said, shrugging. "Anyway, where were you, Dk? Hafu, Fundy, and I were outside Comms, and it seems like Peter was by Storage?"

"Huh? Oh, in Weapons." He answered. "My download got cut off because of Comms, so you know where I'll be later! Those sabotages, I swear…"

Wolf laughed slightly. "Yeah, I get you; I got all messed up because I forgot what to do; I spent nearly a minute standing in the same spot,"

"So, guys, I know the meeting's about to end, but I've got something a little funny to tell you." Steve was grinning as he spoke, standing up. The others turned to him, curious. 

"Janet over here _asked me_ to go Specimen with her," In case the implications weren't clear, he gave her a pointed look, raising an eyebrow. Janet winced almost imperceptibly and looked away. 

But why– oh, Janet had apparently already went to Specimen the first round. 5up sighed. Did Janet make a mistake, or was this just a misunderstanding?

Steve seemed to believe the latter. "Seems like she forgot her little story about going there first round, huh, Janet? Told too many lies that you can't keep up?" His eyes narrowed, gleaming with distrust. 

"What the hell? No! I–" Janet began to defend herself, just as Hafu declared, with an exhausted sigh, "Meeting's over."

Most of them didn't have a chance to vote; 5up, interested in Steve's accusation, barely managed to skip before time ran out. 

Those votes that were placed were revealed; though, as before, the majority skipped, Peter continued to vote Janet, now accompanied by Steve's vote. 

Janet protested, but grudgingly left, heading down to Specimen with a roll of her eyes. Wolf started to go after her, but then seemed to change her mind, doubling back to leave Office via the right.

Fundy was right by his side as always, taking a few seconds to pry open the electrical panel at the end of the hallway. 5up instinctively halted to wait for him, letting Fundy fix the wires before taking hold of his hand and leading them both out of the building. 

Outside Comms, Hafu was struggling with the monitor. 5up slowed his pace to stop next to her, waiting for her to fix it. 

A few seconds later, Hafu threw her hands up in defeat, groaning. 

"5up! Help me!" She pleaded, and 5up, rather amused, did just that, crouching and turning the screen towards him. 

Very quickly, the voice was clear and the static had disappeared. 5up grinned in satisfaction, getting up only to be greeted with a incredulous look. 

"How– how–" Hafu was stunned, startling a laugh out of 5up. 

"It isn't that hard?" He responded, sure that she was joking. 

"It is!"

"Oh, it definitely is." Fundy chimed in. "5up, why are you so… you?" He gestured vaguely. 

5up shrugged it off, turning to walk into Comms. "Yeah, whatever you say,"

Hafu and Fundy followed him, the former changing the subject. "5up, so, about Janet…"

"Yeah?" 5up turned around, clicking to begin uploading his data. 

Hafu stopped, as if choosing her words carefully, then, with a glance at Fundy, asked, "You don't think… she's, you know, an impostor?"

Fundy inhaled sharply, giving 5up a look. 5up hummed. 

"Not really." He decided to say at last. "I've been on missions with her before, and, even if her behaviour is, admittedly, weird, I just don't think so,"

Should he have said that? Janet was the most… off, but he didn't want the rest to turn on her.

"I see," Hafu nodded, fingers dropping to the blade strapped to her belt. "Well, I'll trust you on that."

Did he just save Janet's life? 

Fundy watched Hafu leave, and 5up turned back to the screen to finish his upload. When he looked back at Fundy, he was frowning at the list in his hands. 

Recognising something, he reached for the lever on the wall and pulled it down. The lights next to the various labels blinked out, and a countdown began above them. One minute… fifty-nine seconds…

"You wanna wait here for that?" 5up asked, already taking a seat at the desk. Fundy nodded, sitting next to him. 

A few snacks were scattered on the table, along with an empty mug that held a handful of pens. 5up picked one up and spun it around. 

"What tasks do you have left?" Fundy was reading through his list of tasks. In response to 5up's question, Fundy pushed the list towards him, plucking the pen out of his hand to tick some off. 

"Weapons, and wires in electrical? Should we go shoot some asteroids after this?" 5up suggested. 

"And in the bathroom– the wires, I mean." Fundy corrected, tapping the paper with the pen. 5up took the pen back with a smile. 

"I did those already," He shrugged. "I was in the area, and I thought Janet hadn't done them properly."

"You and your work ethic," Fundy shook his head fondly. The router beeped, and he got up to pull the lever back up, resetting the wifi across the outpost. He did complain about the choppy signal, until 5up pointed out that they were in space, making him laugh sheepishly. 

The doors leading outside were locked, oddly. Fundy flicked open the switches quickly, and they were about to leave when the door swung open to reveal Dk. He was carrying a tablet, having came straight from Weapons. 

Nodding at 5up and Fundy, he stepped around the table and approached the monitor. Dk typed something in, and waited the bar across the screen fill up in barely concealed impatience.

"Bye Dk!" 5up waved and left, hurrying through the snow and into the warmth of Weapons. With a passing wave at Dk, Fundy entered a second after him, going straight to the chair in the corner.

Sitting down, a holograph popped up in front of him, several asteroids flying across the green projection. He fumbled with the controls for a second, then got the hang of it and shot them down with deadly accuracy.

5up watched him in awe; it was only his second mission away from MIRA and Fundy was improving at a stunning rate. He felt himself smile; Fundy reminded him of Janet, in a way.

Anyway. 5up shook his thoughts away, just as Fundy shot the twentieth – and final – asteroid, standing up. 

"Next to Electrical?" Fundy asked, holding the door open for him with a sidelong gaze. 5up agreed, walking back into the cold with a slight shiver. He grabbed hold of his hand, steering them towards the o2 block. Sure, taking the outdoors route may have been quicker – they certainly would encounter fewer doors – but 5up really didn't want to be in the snow. 

They followed the path, now only a faint outline, to the entrance of the block. A set of footsteps, probably Dk's, had taken a similar route, although it veered off course at one point to approach the weather node tucked neatly between the isolated Weapons room and o2. 

The cameras blinked on just as Fundy cursed the locked door, grumpily unlocking it. 

Walking in, the area was empty, with the door leading up to Electrical unlocked and ajar. Maybe the person on the cameras had been Dk, 5up guessed. Fundy circled the block, poking into each separate room to check for anyone. 

Fundy backed out of the tree room, shaking his head at 5up before pushing the door open gently and heading up to Electrical. 5up hurried after him, throwing one last look back at the empty room, just in case. 

The crackle of electricity greeted them as they walked in, the barbed fence around the lights panel audible even through the walls. A large panel of glass stretched across the majority of the north wall, a pile of junk pushed to a corner, forgotten. 

Fundy tiptoed around the pile carefully, eyeing the vent just next to him warily before turning his attention to prying the cover of the wires off the wall. 5up observed him for a moment, then remembered the cameras and decided to check on whoever that was.

As it turned out, Dk was the one on cameras, like 5up had guessed. He spun around when 5up pushed open the door of the camera room, half-rising from his chair. 

"Oh, 5up, hello." He broke into a smile when he realised who it was, sitting down and moving towards the door to peer outside. "Aha, there's Fundy; I knew you wouldn't go anywhere without him,"

"What's that supposed to mean?" 5up laughed, then gestured to the screen displaying camera footage mounted on the wall, eager to change the subject. "Any good info?"

Dk accepted the subject change easily, sighing, "Not much. Just the usual, pretty boring. Steve's camping vitals right now, though."

Ah. With someone on the cameras, it made sense that their self-proclaimed rat boy would move to the vitals monitors, or admin table. 

"Why are you on cams, anyway? I mean– not that you can't, it's just, usually Steve is the one here, y'know." As he spoke, Fundy turned around, setting the cover back on the wall. He hopped over a random tennis racket, approaching them to join their conversation. 

"Oh, Steve was here first, actually. He left… maybe a minute ago? I passed him when I came up here, and I guess I just took over," He shrugged. That… didn't really make sense, but then again, neither did Steve sometimes. 

Going back to the screen, Dk pressed a few buttons, cycling through the different cameras. He stopped at the one that showed the right entrance to Office, where Steve was sitting on the floor, in front of the vitals. 

As the three of the watched, he got up, disappearing off the screen further into Office. After a few seconds, he returned, and resumed his vigil of vitals, oblivious to the people watching him. 

He looked up for a moment and returned to the screen again, before jerking his head up with a disbelieving look. A moment later, he started laughing, waving up at the camera and saying something and shaking his head.

Dk snickered, muttering under his breath, "Hello to you too, idiot."

5up sat down on a battered couch, resting his chin on his hands. Fundy mirrored him, perching on the arm of the couch. The three of them started to talk, though Dk snuck occasional glances at the camera footage, now flicking through the four different screens.

Eventually their conversation turned to their tasks. Dk was the only one who hadn't completed their share, as they found out. 

Clearing his throat, Dk got up, sounding a little guilty as he left the room. "I think I'll go catch up on my tasks, and maybe bother Steve more. See you two around!"

"Bye!" 5up waved at his back, taking his seat to turn to the cameras.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I apparently messed up the order of the wires in chapter 1 (not that anyone noticed), so I'm taking over the order of all wires. 
> 
> Yeah, that's right; the wires _don't_ have an order to go in anymore. ~~If you trust him,~~ Fundy has electrical, office, and bathroom wires, which IS a possible combination according to the wiki, and is doing them in whatever order he wants. 
> 
> Also, to clarify, Hafu has a knife because she's the 'sheriff'. In this case, she's the leader and the 'sheriff', but most 'sheriffs' are just crewmates that decided to bring their weapons with them. No, there are no sheriff misfires; if a 'sheriff' kills a crewmate, too bad. Who's to say that they didn't want to, anyway?
> 
> One last thing; I made [a playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QicbG221xPLh2f2TefFSR?si=WE6XoOmVQOaNxZ4UTy4xZw&utm_source=copy-link) for this fic. Some of the songs don't really make sense in terms of he fic, but those are mainly for me to encourage myself to write haha.


End file.
